The 
Lincoln-Thornton  Debate 


1856 


Shelbyville,  Illinois 


THE   OLD   COURT    HOUSE 


'WITH  MALICE  TOWARDS  NONE 
AND  CHARITY  FOR  ALL" 


LINCOLN  ROOM 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 
LIBRARY 


presented  by 


A-€.\Cfc  X»Wf\SOT\ 


TO  COMMEMORATE 

THE  DEBATE 

OF 

ABRAHAM  LINCOLN 

AND 

ANTHONY  THORNTON 

ON 

FREEDOM  OF  TERRITORIES 

JUNE  15,  1856 

IN 

OLD  COURT  HOUSE 

SHELBYVILLE,   ILLINOIS 


SHELBYVILLE,  ILLINOIS 
SHELBY  COUNTY  LEADEK  PRINT 
1923 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2012  with  funding  from 

University  of  Illinois  Urbana-Champaign 


http://archive.org/details/tocommemoratedebOOshoa 


ABRAHAM   LINCOLN    IN    1851.      (Copyrighted    by  S.  S.  McClure,  1895) 


0  <\m.7Ll  IjuczLH    fcx*^ 


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c*f>K. 


CORRESPONDENCE  RELATING  TO  THE  PROPOSED  ACTION 

OF  DEDICATING  BOULDER  AND  A  PRINTED 

PAMPHLET  PERPETUATING  SAME. 

Shelbyville,  111.,  November  22,  1922. 
Thomas  B.  Shoaff, 

Shelbyville,  Illinois. 
Dear  Sir: 

As  I  have  heard,  your  mother  was  named  for  Nancy  Hanks, 
Lincoln's  mother;  that  your  mother  was  a  daughter  of  Dennis 
Hanks,  cousin  of  Nancy,  and  Lincoln's  step-mother,  Sarah  Bush 
Johnson,  moulder  of  his  sterling  character,  who  was  the  mother  of 
Mrs.  Dennis  Hanks,  so  you  are  a  relative  of  the  family,  and  as 
the  publisher  of  The  Shelby  County  Leader  here,  I  am  writ- 
ing you  to  suggest  the  preparation  of  a  pamphlet  of  the  pro- 
ceedings contemplated  to  commemorate  the  debate  of  Lincoln  and 
Judge  Thornton  on  "Liberty  in  the  United  States  Territories"  in 
our  Old  Court  House,  June  15,  1856. 

It  occurs  to  me  that  a  pamphlet  giving  a  synopsis  of  the 
proceedings  at  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  Feb.  12,  1922,  a 
list  of  the  members  of  the  committees,  a  list  of  the  Board  of 
Supervisors,  a  picture  of  the  Old  Court  House,  and  a  full  page 
picture  of  Artist  Root's  great  painting  that  now  hangs  in  the 
school  house,  cuts  of  the  Soldiers  and  Memorial  Monuments,  and 
any  other  cuts  desirable,  also  including  the  dedicatory  speech 
made  on  the  occasion  of  dedicating  this  boulder,  would  be  very 
fitting. 

Such  a  pamphlet  would  be  a  desirable  souvenir  to  send  to 
friends  and  to  the  men  and  women  who  formerly  lived  in  this 
county.  I  believe  that  most  of  them  would  be  delighted  to  get 
such  a  souvenir  of  their  old  home  county.  I  recall  a  few  in  Mas- 
sachusetts, New  York,  Florida,  Tennessee,  Texas,  California, 
Kansas,  Louisiana,  Minnesota,  Dakota,  Hiawii  and  nearly  every 
city  in  Illinois. 

XI  do  not  know  how  many  pages  it  would  take,  or  how  much 
500  or  1,000  copies  might  cost,  but  it  occurs  to  me  that  you  might 
get  it  up  in  a  creditable  shape,  and  that  the  expense  of  so  doing 
could  be  arranged  for  in  connection  with  the  ceremonies  of  install- 
ing this  memorial. 

Let  me  know  what  you  think  about  it,  and  about  what  it 
would  cost. 

Respectfully  yours, 

GEO.  D.  CHAFEE, 
Chmn.  of  the  Committee. 


4> 


Leader  Office,  Shelbyville,  111.,  Nov.  24,  1922. 

Dear  Mr.  Chaf ee : 

I  have  your  note  about  a  souvenir  of  the  Shelby  County  Lin- 
coln boulder,  in  memory  of  Lincoln's  great  speech  in  June,  1856, 
in  the  Old  Court  House  in  Shelbyville.  I  think  it  a  ^ood  idea,  and 
I  would  take  pleasure  in  getting  it  up  in  such  shape  as  to  reflect 
credit  on  the  occurrences  and  embalm  the  memory  of  the  stirring 
events  of  that  time,  and  of  the  men  who  so  well  acted  their  part. 

A  good  picture  of  Robert  M.  Root's  great  painting  of  Judge 
Thornton,  one  of  Lincoln,  one  of  the  Lincoln  monument  at  Spring- 
field, one  of  Thornton's  monument  in  our  cemetery,  one  of  the  Old 
Court  House,  one  of  the  Memorial  Boulder  and  the  Soldiers' 
monument,  and,  perhaps  others,  with  appropriate  introduction, 
and  a  copy  of  the  dedicatory  speech,  all  on  good  paper,  would  cer- 
tainly be  something  of  which  all  would  be  justly  proud,  and  any 
person  who  ever  lived  in  Shelby  county  would  want  one  or  more. 
Teachers,  preachers,  officers  and  ex-officers,  libraries,  and  even 
the  quiet  citizen  would  be  glad  of  an  opportunity  to  get  such  a 
valuable  brochure. 

I  can't  tell  off  hand  how  much  the  cuts  would  cost,  or  how 
many  pages  there  would  be,  to  do  it  right,  but  I  don't  think  it 
would  exceed  40  pages  with  suitable  cover,  and  I  assure  you  we 
would  do  it  at  as  reasonable  a  figure  as  possible. 

I  was  gratified  that  the  Board  of  Supervisors  was  pleased 
with  the  idea  of  marking  this  historical  event  and  putting  the 
story  into  permanent  history,  and  that  it  felt  justified  in  making 
an  appropriation  for  the  memorial  and  to  cover  all  expenses. 

I  believe  that  every  citizen  of  the  county  will  favor  such 
action.  Many  of  the  counties  in  the  State  have  spent  much 
more  for  a  less  suitable  memorial. 

Many  Shelby  county  citizens  are  now  living  in  distant  cities, 
and  I  believe  there  is  not  one  but  that  would  be  glad  to  get  a 
copy  of  the  souvenir. 

I  hope  it  may  materialize,  and  I  certainly  will  do  all  that  I 
can  to  make  it  a  success.  Call  on  me  any  time  for  anything  our 
office  can  do. 

Yours  very  truly, 

THOS.  B.  SHOAFF. 


JUDGE  ANTHONY  THORNTON 


PRELIMINARY    MEETING 

FEBRUARY  12TH,  1922,  AT  METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH,  SHELBY- 

VILLE,   AS    REPORTED    IN   THE    DEMOCRAT,    FEBY.    16TH,    1922— 

"IN  COMMEMORATION  OF  TWO  IMPORTANT  EVENTS  AND 

IN  HONOR  OF  TWO  GREAT  MEN." 

PROGRAM 

Presbyterian  Choir — Geo.  Fisher,  Leader;    Mrs.  E.  V.   Young,   Organist. 

Music— "The  Star  Spangled  Banner." 

Invocation — Rev.  Edward  V.  Young. 

"Lincoln,"  10  Minutes — Judge  Franklin  R.  Dove. 

"Gettysburg" — Edward  Herron. 

"Why  Should  the  Spirit  of  Mortal  Be  Proud?"— Senator  F.  B.  Wendling. 

Music — Presbyterian  Choir. 

"Samuel  W.  Moulton,  Common  School  Laws  of  Illinois"— Hon.  W.  H.  Chew 

Appointment  of  Committees. 

"Our  Flag"— Hon.  John  W.  Yantis. 

Music — The  Choir. 

Benediction — Rev.  J.  Stanley  Mitchell. 

Senator  Geo.  D.  Chafee,  Chairman  of  Meeting. 

The  foregoing  program,  originated  and  arranged  by  Senator  George  D. 
Chafee,  was  carried  out  at  the  First  Methodist  Episcopal  church  in  Shelby- 
ville  at  2:30  o'clock  Sunday  afternoon,  February  12,  1922,  with  two  objects 
in  view:  One  to  commemorate  the  memory  of  Abraham  Lincoln  on  the  113th 
anniversary  of  his  birth,  and  the  other  to  pay  tribute  to  the  memory  of  Hon. 
Samuel  W.  Moulton,  one  of  the  great  men  of  Illinois-  of  his  day,  the  "Father 
of  the  Free  School  System"  of  this  State,  whose  life  for  most  part  was  spent 
in  Shelbyville;  and  to  appoint  committees  for  the  purpose  of  further  arrang- 
ing for  a  suitable  memorial  tablet  to  be  placed  in  the  High  School  building 
in  Shelbyville,  suggesting  final  action  on  this  to  be  taken  during  summer 
term  of  Shelby  County  Teachers'  Institute. 

SPLENDID  AUDIENCE  PRESENT. 

It  was  a  fine  and  representative  audience  which  met  there  Sunday  after- 
noon, the  church  assembly  room  being  comfortably  filled  with  men  and 
women,  most  all  of  whom  knew  Mr.  Moulton  during  his  life-time,  and  some 
who  remembered  the  great  Emancipator  as  he  was-  when  he  traveled  from 
county  to  county  circuit  riding  the  courts  of  central  Illinois,  and  was  present 

4 


when   the  Lincoln   and   Thornton   debate   was   held   in  the  old   court  house,, 
which  stood  in  the  middle  of  the  Public  Square  in  Shelbyville,  in  1856. 

Following  music  by  the  choir,  and  the  invocation  by  Rev.  Mr.  Young, 
Mr.  Chafee,  chairman  of  the  meeting,  told  in  a  few  words  the  objects  of  the 
meeting,  and  the  things  hoped  for  with  reference  to  placing  a  suitable  tablet 
in  the  High  School  building  in  memory  of  Mr.  Moulton,  and  then  presented 
Judge  Franklin  R.  Dove,  who  delivered  the  following  address  on  Lincoln: 

JUDGE  F.  R.  DOVE  PAYS  TRIBUTE  TO  LINCOLN. 

"Great  captains  with  their  guns  and  drums 

Disturb  our  judgment  for  the  hour; 
But  at  last  silence  comes: 

These  all  are  gone,  and  standing  like  a  tower, 
Our  children  shall  behold  his  fame, 

The  kindly-earnest,  brave,  far-seeing  man, 
Sagacious,  patient,  dreading  praise,  not  blame, 

New  birth  of  our  new  soil,  the  First  American." 

In  these  words  the  poet,  James  Russell  Lowell,  spoke  of  him  whose  113th 
birthday  anniversary  we  have  gathered  to  celebrate.  It  is  indeed  appropriate 
that  upon  this  day  we  shall  turn  our  thoughts  to  the  deeds  and  achievements 
of  America's  foremost  and  noblest  man,  and  may  we  from  the  lessons  of  his 
life  and  character  rededicate  our  own  lives  to  patriotic,  honest  and  unselfish 
service. 

Competent  critics  have  told  us  that  more  has  been  written  and  spoken 
of  Lincoln  than  has  ever  been  written  or  said  of  any  man  that  ever  lived  and 
no  words  of  mine  can  add  anything  to  the  respectful  veneration,  honor  and 
esteem  in  which  this  wonderful  character  is  held.  And  it  seems  presump- 
tuous for  me  to  speak  of  his  life,  or  the  great  qualities  of  his  heart  and  mind, 
for  his  name  has  been  a  household  word,  not  only  in  America  but  through- 
out the  civilized  world  for  more  than  half  a  century.     *     -     * 

We  all  know  of  his  election  to  the  presidency,  of  his  great  humanity  and 
broad  sympathy;  of  his  merciful,  humane  and  forgiving  qualities  and  of  that 
friendship  for  those  who  were  in  sorrow  and  distress  which  he  carried  to 
such  an  extent  that  during  the  war  both  General  Grant  and  General  Sher- 
man had  communication  severed  between  their  respective  headquarters  and 
the  White  House  in  order  that  the  iron  rule  of  military  discipline  might  not 
be  interfered  with  by  his  pardons  and  paroles. 

We  all  know  of  the  awful  tragedy  whch  closed  his  life,  but  perhaps  we 
don't  realize  the  prejudice  and  bitterness  with  which  he  was  assailed  while 
he  lived.  This  happily  has  been  forgotten  and  perhaps  in  thinking  of  the 
great  prominence  which  he  attained  we,  too,  have  forgotten  the  bitter  dis- 
appointments and  defeats  of  which  he  tasted.     *     *     * 

It  is  related   that  Lincoln  going  to  Washington,  traveled   by   stage  be- 

5 


tween  Terre  Haute  and  Indianapolis,  an  incident  occurred  of  which  he  after- 
wards frequently  spoke  and  enjoyed  relating.  A  Kentuckian,  returning  to 
his  home  in  Louisville  from  Missouri,  and  Lincoln  were  the  only  occupants 
in  the  coach.  Trying  to  relieve  the  monotony  the  stranger  offered  Lincoln 
a  chew.  Lincoln  declined,  saying,  "No,!  never  chew!"  After  a  period  of 
silence  the  stranger  offered  him  a  cigar,  which  he  also  declined  on  the 
ground  that  he  never  smoked.  Finally,  just  before  they  separated,  the  Ken- 
tuckian poured  out  a  cup  of  brandy  from  a  flask  which  he  carried  and  of- 
fered it  to  Lincoln  with  the  remark  that  inasmuch  as  he  never  chewed  or 
smoked,  perhaps  he  would  take  a  little  brandy  as  an  appetizer.  Lincoln  de- 
clined this  last  and  best  evidence  of  Kentucky  hospitality  on  the  same 
ground  as  he  had  the  tobacco,  whereupon  the  Kentuckian  said,  "Well  stran- 
ger, I  don't  want  to  offend  you,  but  my  experience  has  taught  me  that  a  man 
who  has  no  vices  has     *      *     *     few  virtues."     *     *     * 

"I  am  not  bound,"  Lincoln  wrote,  "to  win,  but  I  am  bound  to  be  true.  I 
am  not  bound  to  succeed,  but  I  am  bound  to  live  up  to  what  light  I  have.  I 
must  stand  with  anybody  that  stands  right;  stand  with  him  while  he  is 
right  and  part  with  him  when  he  is  wrong." 

His  name  is  one  to  conjure  with.  His  words  today  are  used  as  the  final 
and  supreme  argument  for  or  against  any  proposed  plan  or  movement.  He 
stood  for  honest  government  and  for  law  enforcement. 

Those  who  knew  him  and  walked  with  him  are  rapidly  passing  away. 
Few  are  still  living  who  ever  heard  his  voice  or  grasped  his  hand.  And  it 
was  a  rare  privilege  for  me  two  years  ago  today  to  sit  in  the  Constitutional 
Convention  hall  in  Springfield  and  there  listen  to  the  man  who  first  conveyed 
to  Lincoln,  on  Friday,  May  18,  1860,  the  message  of  his  nomination.     *     *     * 

In  the  capitol  grounds  at  Springfield  stands  a  wonderful  monument 
erected  at  the  east  entrance  in  loving  remembrance  of  this  great  man.  Fol- 
lowing Mr.  Clinton  Conkling's  narration  of  how  he  notified  Lincoln  of  his 
nomination,  I  walked  down  the  steps  of  the  capitol  with  him  and  as  we 
approached  this  statue  he  drew  me  off  the  walk  to  the  west  and  there  placed 
me  in  a  position  from  which  he  said  one  could  get  the  view  of  the  Great 
Emancipator  as  he  remembered  him.  That  anniversary  of  Lincoln's  birth 
meant  much  to  me.    May  this  one  mean  much  to  all  of  us. 

His  birthday  will  be  celebrated  as  long  as  civilization  endures.  The 
world  has  accorded  him  first  place  as  a  statesman.  Help  us  to  be  worthy  of 
his  memory  and  bring  to  us  a  realization  of  the  pricelessness  of  our  liberties 
and  help  us  to  make  America  what  it  should  be — a  land  of  honesty,  freedom, 
opportunity  and  justice. 

GETTYSBURG   SPEECH 

Without  doubt  the  greatest  speech  ever  delivered  in  160  words,  is  Lin- 
coln's Gettysburg  address.     This  was  read  by  E.  N.  Herron. 

6 


"0,  WHY  SHOULD  THE  SPIRIT  OF  MORTAL  BE  PROUD?" 

This  favorite  poem  of  Lincoln  was  read  by  Senator  F.  B.  Wendling. 

"SAMUEL  W.  MOULTON,  THE  FATHER  OF  THE  COMMON  SCHOOL 

'LAWS    OF    ILLINOIS." 

Hon.  William  H.  Chew,  member  of  the  State  Constitutional  Convention, 
and  Mayor  of  Shelbyville,  was  presented  by  Chairman  Chafee  and  Mr.  Chew 
delivered  an  exceptionally  fine  address  on  "Samuel  W.  Moulton,  the  Father 
of  the  Common  School  Laws  of  Illinois." 

JUDGE  T.  E.  AMES  PRESENTS  RESOLUTION. 

Judge  Truman  E.  Ames  arose  from  his  seat  in  the  audience  and  pro- 
ceeded to  the  platform  and  presented  the  following  resolution: 

"Be  It  Resolved,  That  it  is  in  line  with  current  thought  and  action  in 
this  State  and  elsewhere  to  erect  proper  tablets,  showing  important  acts  and 
events  and  particularly  in  Illinois  to  have  markers  showing  where  our 
martyr  President's  activities  called  him;  and  as  he  made  one  of  his  great 
speeches  for  freedom  and  the  welfare  of  the  human  race,  as  well  as  practised 
law,  in  our  old  court  house,  and  stayed  in  the  Tallman  or  Tackett  tavern  at 
the  top  of  Brewster  hill,  we  deem  it  both  wise,  timely  and  commendable  to 
have  a  public  meeting  this  summer,  of  the  citizens  of  Shelby  county  at,  or 
near  where  these  events  occurred.  And  to  plant  a  tablet  in  the  street  near 
where  he  made  his  famous  speech  in  1856.  Also  a  monument  or  boulder  at 
the  corner  of  the  old  hotel  as  a  marker  for  his  itinerary,  and  to  that  end 
the  following  committees  are  hereby  appointed  for  general  management  and 
fixing  the  time  for  holding  this  meeting: 

"Hon.  Wm.  H.  Chew,  Hon.  Wm.  C.  Kelley,  Clark  Dove,  Robt.  I.  Pugh,  Dr. 
F.  P.  Bivins,  D.  A.  Milligan,  Geo.  B.  Rhoads,  Dr.  F.  P.  Auld,  Dr.  C.  H.  Hulick, 
A.  L.  Yantis,  Geo.  H.  Waters,  John  D.  Miller,  Senator  F.  B.  Wendling,  Judge 
A.  J.  Steidley,  Ed  R.  Knecht,  and  such  others  as  the  chairman  may  call  to 
his  aid. 

"For  the  committee  on  marker  and  tablet  and  finances — Judge  F.  R.  Dove, 
Wm.  S.  Middlesworth,  O.  W.  Walker,  B.  P.  Dearing,  Wm.  J.  Eddy,  Geo.  Bolin- 
ger,  Mrs.  Ella  Hamlin,  Miss  Georgia  Hopkins,  Miss  Mary  Seaman,  B.  S.  Yost, 
Mrs.  Charles  Igo,  and  any  other  persons  that  said  committee  may  solicit  for 
their  assistance. 

"For  committee  on  music — Dr.  J.  H.  Hite,  George  Fisher,  Mrs.  Josephine 
Grider,  Gus  Pundt,  Mrs.  Donald  Richardson,  I.  M.  Douthit,  Prof.  R.  G.  Newell, 
Wiliam  Aichle. 

"For  committee  on  publicity  and  invitations  program — I.  S.  Storm,  James 
Shoaff,  W.  H.  Taylor,  Robert  Parrish,  A.  J.  Andes,  The  Commercial  Club  of 
Shelbyville  and  Roy  Vanderpool  Post. 

"Committee   on   decoration,    stand    and    seats — Geo.    B.    Roberts,   Louis 

7 


Conn,   L.    C.    Westervelt,    B.   J.    Sturgis,    Beecher    Funk,    M.    0.    Finks,    The 
City  Marshal,  Wra.  T.  Biggs,  Sheriff  of  Shelby  county. 

"Committee  on  decoration — Judge  T.  E.  Ames,  Charles  Coplin,  Robert 
Root,  L.  F.  Akenhead,  Beecher  Funk,  Charles  H.  Beetle,  E.  E.  Cook. 

It  is  respectfully  suggested  that  this  is  a  public  affair,  for  the  benefit  of 
the  whole  people;  that  all  of  our  people  are,  or  ought  to  be  interested  in  both 
of  these  events,  for  reasons  apparent  to  anyone,  and  that  each  citizen  should 
gladly  aid  to  make  these  events  a  success.     *     *     * 

"It  goes  without  saying  that  the  assistance  of  the  Supervisors  of  the 
county,  and  all  the  public  officers  of  the  county  are  respectfully  solicited  to 
give  these  events  adequate  notoriety,  that  the  people  who  read  our  papers 
and  are  interested  in  the  matters  proposed  should  gladly  attend  these  meet- 
ings and  help  to  make  them  a  success  and  an  honor  to  our  city." 

On  motion  of  Judge  T.  E.  Ames  the  foregoing  resolutions  were  unanim- 
ously adopted. 

"THE    FLAG." 

Chairman  Chafee  then  presented  Hon.  John  W.  Yantis,  who  delivered 
a  beautiful  tribute  to  "The  Flag,"  the  composition  of  which  is  one  of  the 
finest  literary  gems  ever  written  on  Old  Glory,  and  nobody  can  deliver  the 
tribute,  oratorically,  quite  as  well  as  Mr.  Yantis. 

Following  this  and  another  song  by  the  choir,  Rev.  J.  Stanley  Mitchell 
delivered  the  benediction,  and  the  meeting  was  adjourned. 


s 


INTRODUCTION  OF  HON.  B.  M.  CHIPPERFIELD 

BY 

GEO.   D.   CHAFEE 

Ladies  and  Gentlemen: 

I  am  greatly  pleased  to  have  you  all  here  on  this  occasion. 
The  primary  cause  of  this  meeting  occurred  in  the  year  1619, 
when  a  Dutch  ship  landed  in  Virginia,  loaded  with  African  men 
and  women — the  first  sold  in  slavery. 

The  next  step  was  the  Ordinance  of  1787,  Art.  VI — "There 
shall  be  neither  slavery  nor  involuntary  servitude  in  said  terri- 
tory    *     *     *" 

The  next  step  was  when  the  United  States,  under  Thomas 
Jefferson,  purchased  Louisiana  from  France,  in  1803. 

The  next  step,  known  as  the  Missouri  Compromise,  was  in 
1821,  permitting  Missouri  to  come  into  the  Union  as  a  slave 
state,  by  declaring  that  no  other  part  of  the  Louisiana  purchase 
North  of  30  degrees  by  30  degrees,  should  ever  become  slave 
territory. 

The  next  step,  in  1854,  was  the  repeal  by  Congress  of  the 
Missouri  Compromise. 

(One  of  the  outstanding  facts  of  the  period  that  projected  its 
influence  into  history,  was  that  a  very  religious  man,  named 
John  Brown,  then  lived  in  Osawattime.  His  home  was  burned, 
his  property  stolen  and  destroyed,  his  family  murdered.  On  the 
grave  of  his  wife  and  children  and  the  ashes  of  his  home,  he  be- 
came the  avenging  nemesis  of  slavery ;  three  years  after  he  raised 
an  army  of  fifteen  as  crazy  as  himself  and  captured  Harper's 
Ferry,  on  the  Potomac;  was  himself  captured  and  hung  in  Vir- 
ginia.   The  rallying  song  of  the  Civil  War  was  then  born: 

"John  Brown's  body  is  moulding  in  the  ground, 
But  his   soul   is  marching  along.") 

Kansas  and  Nebraska  were  then  seeking  to  be  admitted  into 
the  Union. 

9 


HON.  B.  M.  CHIPPERFIELD, 
CANTON,   ILLINOIS 


The  slave-holding  states  wanted  these  territories  to  be  open 
to  slavery — the  free  states  opposed  it.  Crime,  arson,  murder, 
carnage,  fraud,  massacre,  gave  that  virgin  territory  the  name 
of  bleeding  Kansas. 

June  15th,  1856,  here  in  our  old  Court  House  (where  the 
boulder  lays),  Abraham  Lincoln  made  the  first  speech  for  Free- 
dom in  our  little  city. 

It  is  this  event  we  are  here  today  to  commemorate  and  honor 
ourselves,  our  city  and  county  by  dedicating  a  granite  boulder  to 
this  great  man.  Until  his  foul  assassination,  the  mass  of  man- 
kind little  knew  his  marvelous  merit. 

As  the  last  breath  left  his  stricken  body,  the  great  Secretary 
of  War,  Edwin  M.  Staunton,  said :  "Now  he  belongs  to  the  ages." 
The  whole  civilized  world  was  shocked  as  never  before,  at  his 
untimely  taking  off.  Kings,  Princes,  Powers,  The  Pope,  Cardin- 
als and  Bishops,  Mayors,  Municipalities,  Parliaments,  Civic 
Orders,  Generals  and  Admirals,  Statesmen  and  Merchants,  Me- 
chanics, great  Captains  of  Industry,  Ministers  and  Laborers 
immediately  and  simultaneously  sent  hundred  of  thousands  of 
telegrams  of  condolence  to  the  United  States  Government  and 
the  family  at  Washington.  The  Congress  of  the  United  States 
caused  these  messages  to  be  printed  in  book  form.  No  other  such 
book  was  ever  made.     No  other  person  was  ever  so  honored. 

Lincoln  was  peculiar,  born  in  poverty,  without  the  aid  of 
schools  he  early  rose  to  every  occasion  and  became  the  world's 
first  figure.  He  was  utterly  unselfish  and  single-minded  to  make 
his  country  free  and  sane  and  perpetuate  the  nation  Washington 
founded. 

He  was  no  mystic,  the  Olympian  gods  did  not  shield  or  guide 
him ;  he  was  not  a  visionary,  gazing  at  rainbows ;  no  idealist,  with 
his  head  in  the  clouds.  He  was  no  dollar  chaser,  the  lure  of 
wealth  never  hardened  his  heart  or  arteries. 

He  was  commonplace  and  intensely  practical,  ever  mindful 
of  the  work  to  be  done — four-square,  with  both  feet  on  the  earth. 

Clemenceau,  the  wonderful  old  Frenchman,  when  placing  a 
wreath  on  Lincoln's  tomb  at  Springfield,  recently  said:  "He  was 
the  greatest  man  of  all  time." 

Ladies  and  Gentlemen,  it  is  now  my  great  pleasure  to  intro- 
duce to  you  the  Hon.  B.  M.  Chipperfield,  who  will  address  you 
upon  the  life  and  service  of  our  martyr  President. 

10 


MEMORIAL  ADDRESS  OF 

HON.  BURNETT  M.  CHIPPERFIELD 

OF  CANTON.  ILLINOIS 

AT  THE  DEDICATLNG  OF  LINCOLN  BOULDER  AT 
SHELBYVILLE,  ILL.,  FEBRUARY  12,  1923 

Many  years  have  come  and  gone  since  the  earth  last  saw  the  beloved 
form  of  the  Great  Emancipator. 

Although  now  they  almost  equal  in  number  the  allotted  span  of  the  life 
of  a  man,  not  a  single  laurel  that  was  placed  upon  his  brow  by  the  loving 
hands  of  a  grateful  people  has  withered  or  faded  under  the  destroying  hand 
of  time. 

The  passage  of  the  years  has  but  added  to  their  freshness  and  luster, 
and  his  memory  has  become  the  more  fixed  and  established,  until  today  we 
again  gather  in  reverence,  to  do  homage  to  the  deeds  and  achievements  of 
the   Nation's  greatest — Abraham  Lincoln. 

In  this  State,  as  well  as  in  the  other  Commonwealths  of  the  Nation,  his 
greatness  is  not  forgotten,  nor  are  the  deeds  which  he  performed  lost  to 
remembrance,  nor  is  their  glory  lessened,  and  though  he  has  long  since 
passed  to  the  glorious  company  of  the  immortals,  yet  in  truth  he  now  liveth 
and  speaks  wherever  the  thought  of  liberty  finds  lodgment  in  the  mind  of 
man. 

As  the  gray  twilight  brings  the  day  to  a  close  on  the  broad  prairies  of 
Illinois,  mothers  draw  their  little  ones  to  their  knees  and  tell  in  tones  of 
affection  o'er  and  o'er  again  the  entrancing  story  of  the  life  of  this  great 
man.  And  as  the  tale  holds  the  youthful  listeners  spellbound,  she  does  not 
dwell  on  the  battles  of  years  gone  by,  but  speaks  she  of  his  humble  origin; 
of  the  devoted  mother  who  guided  his  childish  steps;  of  the  struggling  youth; 
the  sturdy  and  determined  manhood;  and  the  just  and  loving  heart  that 
found  vast  expression  in  the  beneficent  life  that  gave  to  us  a  most  precious 
legacy — the  memory  of  the  greatest  and  most  loved  man  since  the  days  of 
the  Savior  of  the  world — the  memory  of  the  humble  rail  splitter  of  our 
prairies. 

Others  may  speak  of  Lincoln  the  leader,  the  statesman,  the  President, 
but  I  speak  this  day  of  Lincoln  the  humane,  of  Lincoln  the  man,  and  the  life 
that  has  endeared  him  to  all  liberty-loving  citizens  of  the  world. 

As  this  day  we  can  not  understand  the  severity  of  the  struggles  by  which 
he  rose  or  the  bleak  barrenness  of  his  life,  which  he  describes  as  "the  short 
and  simple  annals  of  the  poor."    In  after  years  he  could  not  bear  to  speak 

11 


of  those  days,  and  so  far  as  his  words  are  concerned  they  are  a  sealed  book. 

In  all  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  land  today  there  is  not  poverty  such 
as  he  knew.  It  is  not  accurate  for  men  to  say  that  his  life  was  the  common 
lot  of  the  sturdy  pioneer  of  those  days,  for  this  is  not  correct. 

Why,  I  can  not  tell,  but  so  it  is,  that  when  a  great  work  in  the  affairs 
of  nations  is  to  be  accomplished  and  a  great  man  required,  the  early  scenes 
of  his  life  are  almost  invariably  laid  amidst  the  humblest  surroundings  and 
in  homes  where  love  must  supply  the  greater  part  of  the  needs  of  childhood 
days.  It  was  so  with  Gideon,  David,  Luther,  Farfield,  Webster,  Grant,  Edi- 
son, and  many  others,  and  so  it  was,  although  to  a  much  greater  degree, 
with  Lincoln. 

Reared  in  a  cabin  that  was  inferior  to  the  shelter  of  the  animals  on 
the  farm,  housed  in  a  structure  that  was  for  a  long  time  without  windows, 
doors,  or  a  floor,  and  that  was  not  even  enclosed  on  all  four  of  its  sides, 
here  his  early  years  were  spent.  The  furnishings,  meager  and  cruelly  crude, 
were  hardly  worthy  of  the  name;  his  resting  place  was  a  bed  of  leaves 
laid  upon  a  rude  support  of  poles.  Here  dwelt  and  developed  the  indomi- 
table spirit  of  the  lad,  who,  while  his  heart  was  oftimes  saddened,  though 
not  embittered  by  the  privations  he  experienced  and  the  hardships  he  en- 
dured, suffered  not  his  courage  to  fail. 

Here  it  was  that  he  learned  the  vast  sympathy  and  the  broad  affection 
for  his  fellow  man  that  a  mansion  or  a  palace  does  not  seem  to  favor  or 
create. 

The  church  wisely  reverences  the  humble  cradle,  the  abode  of  the  Savior, 
and  the  American  people  find  inspiration  in  the  life  of  the  youth  who,  like 
the  chrysalis,  outgrows  his  humble  surroundings  and  emerges  triumphant 
with  a  character  glorious  and  beautiful. 

And  so  with  the  lad  of  poverty,-  he  triumphed,  until  at  his  death  the 
world  stood  silent  and  the  monarchs  of  the  earth  bowed  their  heads  in  grief 
and  laid  their  tributes  upon  his  bier  as  he  made  his  last  journey,  silent 
and  still,  by  night  and  by  day,  through  the  unbroken  ranks  of  sorrowing 
citizens,  to  the  old  home,  in  the  heart  of  Illinois,  where  now  his  sacred  dust 
reposes,  a  precious  trust  of  the  people  of  our  State. 

Between  the  humble  home  and  the  last  imposing  spectacle  lay  a  life  of 
love,  devotion,  and  service.  In  it  all  is  not  found  one  day  of  selfish  ease  or 
idle  self-indulgence.  No  anchorite  ever  lived  more  humbly  or  toiled  more 
vigorously  to  attain  the  goal,  that  was  to  be  his. 

To  me  it  is  a  delight  and  a  privilege  to  trace  in  imagination  his 
triumphant,  though  weary  steps. 

Love  and  service,  attended  with  the  highest  devotion  to  duty,  marked 
his  course.    His  guide  and  counsellor  in  those  days  of  privation  was  a  won- 

12 


derful  mother,  whom  he  loved  with  all  the  devotion  of  his  boyish  heart  and 
of  whom  he  said:  "All  that  I  am  or  ever  hope  to  be  I  owe  to  my  angel 
mother."  When  the  summons  came  to  the  rude  hut  and  called  her  from 
earth  away,  it  left  the  lad  bereft  and  alone,  and  none  could  bring  him  com- 
fort. 

It  was  the  first  staggering  blow  to  a  life  that  already  well  knew  sorrow. 

Father  and  son  with  their  own  hands  hewed  out  the  rude  casket,  and 
winding  her  in  her  humble  shroud,  they  laid  her  away  forever  from  the 
sight  of  man,  to  await  that  glorious  day  of  awakening  when,  instead  of  one 
of  the  humblest  of  the  earth,  she  would  be  welcomed  to  the  life  beyond  as 
the  heroic  mother  of  the  world's  noblest. 

Denoting  the  steadfastness  of  his  devotion  and  purpose  and  the 
strength  of  his  affection,  the  lad  grieved  day  by  day  because  no  words  of 
consolation  and  benediction  had  been  spoken  over  the  last  resting  place  of 
his  loved  one,  until  learning  that  a  man  of  God  was  at  a  distant  point 
months  afterwards,  he  trudged  his  weary  way  over  hill  and  dale  and  through 
the  lonely  forest  that  the  mother  might  have  Christian  burial,  and  gladly 
brought  to  her  grave  a  holy  man  to  perform  the  last  rites  and  there  speak 
the  words  of  comfort  and  peace. 

As  the  virgin  mother  of  God  is  remembered  by  the  faithful,  so  is  lov- 
ingly adored  by  the  people  of  the  land  the  mother  of  Abraham  Lincoln,  and 
to  all  mothers  who  toil  and  struggle  in  sacrifice  through  poverty  and  hard- 
ship that  their  children  may  start  the  world  aright,  she  stands  in  their 
vision  as  a  patron  saint,  a  guiding  light,  and  a  glorious  inspiration. 

The  struggles  of  his  boyhood  days  and  their  biting  poverty  left  a  melan- 
choly impress  on  his  mind  and  soul. 

It  gave  to  him  for  his  entire  lifetime  the  sensitive  heart  of  a  child. 

He  could  see  no  wrong  done  or  hurt  come  to  any  living  thing  without 
himself  being  hurt. 

He  sorrowed  with  the  sorrowful  and  his  tears  fell  with  those  who  had 
been  wounded  and  broken  on  the  march  of  life. 

His  soul  responded  to  the  sufferings  of  the  world. 

Through  his  bitter  experiences  no  man  could  better  understand  than 
he  the  fatherhood  of  God  and  the  brotherhood  of  man,  and  this  sympathetic 
comprehension  animated  and  guided  his  every  act. 

In  all  the  record  of  his  life  no  mean  deed  is  written  and  in  the  story  of 
his  career,  as  orally  preserved  by  tradition  in  our  great  State,  there  does 
not  remain  even  the  suggestion  that  he  was  capable  of  a  selfish  or  unworthy 
act. 

As  only  a  starved  soul  could  yearn,  he  desired  affection  and  when  this 
was  given  to  him  by  Anne  Rutledge  it  was  returned  with  an  ardor  that  was 

13 


LINCOLN  MONUMENT   AT  SPRINGFIELD 


great.  Many  say  that  Anne  Rutledge  is  a  myth.  I  have  visited  her  grave 
near  the  town  of  Old  Salem,  where  it  is  said  that  after  her  death  Lincoln 
came  often  in  sadness  and  would  not  be  consoled.  It  is  repeated  that  at 
one  of  these  times  he  said  that  the  true  inscription  for  her  resting  place 
should  be  "Here  lies  the  body  of  Anne  Rutledge  and  the  heart  of  Abraham 
Lincoln." 

Ofttimes  he  was  oppressed  with  grief  and  for  days  he  would  seem  to  be 
crushed  by  it.  At  such  a  time  he  once  said,  "I  am  now  the  most  miserable 
man  living.  If  what  I  feel  were  distributed  among  the  whole  human  family, 
there  would  not  be  a  cheerful  face  on  earth.  Whether  I  shall  ever  be  better, 
I  can  not  tell.  I  awfully  forbode  I  shall  not.  To  remain  as  I  am  is  impos- 
sible;  I  must  die  or  be  better,  it  seems  to  me." 

With  his  sensitive  nature  he  sought  the  love  of  those  with  whom  he  was 
brought  in  contact.  Their  esteem  and  good  opinion  sustained,  encouraged, 
and  supported  him.  Without  it  he  was  cast  down  and  disheartened.  His 
reward — and  the  only  one  he  sought — was  the  approval  of  his  countrymen. 
And  in  later  years  the  knowledge  that  he  was  at  variance  with  a  great 
section  of  the  land,  caused  him  the  most  poignant  grief. 

It  is  worthy  of  much  comment  that  although  Lincoln,  as  he  states,  had 
the  advantage  of  only  six  months  of  school,  and  no  opportunity  for  what  is 
sometimes  called  higher  education,  that  he  was  a  man  of  great  and  profound 
knowledge. 

Perhaps  not  widely  versed  in  the  details  of  the  arts  or  sciences,  yet  he 

knew  men.     He  knew  their  thoughts  snd  minds  and  souls  and  the  motives 

which  animated  them.  He  knew  their  strength  and  their  weakness.  He  was 
brother  and  father  to  all  mankind,  and  knew  their  sorrows  and  their  trials. 

To  them  he  could  speak  in  simple  words  that  touched  their  deepest  sensibili- 
ties, and  could  play  upon  the  chords  of  their  emotion  in  language  plain,  it 
is  true,  but  with  words  that  lived  and  breathed,  in  language  that  stands  to 
this  day  as  an  unparalleled  example  of  literary  style. 

If  you  ask  where  he  attained  this  power,  the  answer,  it  seems  to  me, 
is  easy  to  give. 

He  and  his  forebears  were  born  amid  surroundings  where  life  was  stern, 
and  where  each  day  was  an  actual  struggle  for  existence. 

Under  these  conditions  speech  was  as  plain  as  the  method  of  life.  There 
they  employed  the  good  old  Anglo-Saxon  of  the  century  past. 

They  stripped  from  their  meager  vocabulary  all  effete  and  soft  words 
and  left  remaining  only  those  that  were  strong  and  vigorous,  and  of  these 
they  did  not  employ  many. 

The  Bible  was  almost  the  only  book  and  its  influence  upon  their  speech 
was  marked.  Lincoln  used  words  that  were  dynamic  in  their  vigor.  The 
addition  of  a  syllable  to  a  sentence  was  to  him  a  matter  of  profligacy. 

14 


Each  phrase  was  cut  to  the  last  degree  and  thought  was  given  expres- 
sion in  sentences  that  were  strong,  direct,  and  filled  with  meaning. 

Lincoln  used  the  monosyllable  whenever  possible,  and  his  sentences 
ofttimes  were  almost  entirely  made  up  of  these  elementary  words.  When 
he  spoke  to  the  people  in  these  simple  terms  they  listened  to  him  gladly  as 
they  did  in  days  of  yore  to  the  Man  of  Galilee,  whose  words  were  also  plain 
and  touched  the  hearts  of  all. 

In  this  simple  style,  Lincoln,  said: 

"I  am  not  bound  to  win,  but  I  am  bound  to  be  true.  I  am  not  bound  to 
succeed,  but  I  am  bound  to  live  up  to  what  light  I  have.  I  must  stand  with 
anybody  that  stands  right;  stand  with  him  while  he  is  right  and  part  with 
him  when  he  is  wrong." 

And  so  again  they  were  employed  by  him  in  making  this  prediction: 

"The  mystic  chord  of  memory  stretching  from  every  battle  field  and 
every  patriot  grave  to  every  living  heart  and  hearthstone,  will  yet  swell  the 
chorus  of  the  Union  when  again  touched  as  they  will  surely  be  by  the 
better  angels  of  our  nature." 

And  it  was  in  these  same  words  of  common  speech  that  he  astonished 
and  charmed  the  world  when  in  their  marvellous  beauty  he  paid  his  tribute 
on  the  field  of  Gettysburg  to  the  men  of  the  land  who  had  given  their  lives 
that  the  Nation  might  live  forever.  This  famous  speech  consisted  of  about 
300  words.     Of  these,  204  were  words  of  one  syllable. 

In  all  of  his  preparation  for  his  life  work,  he  was  thorough  and  pains- 
taking to  the  last  degree.  One  day  he  was  confronted  with  the  word 
"demonstrate."  Asking  himself  what  it  was  to  demonstrate,  he  went  to  his 
dictionary  and  saw  that  its  meaning  was  "to  make  clear."  He  asked  him- 
self the  question,  if  he  could  demonstrate  and  "make  clear,"  and  his  answer 
was  that  he  could  not.  Thereupon  he  laid  aside  the  study  of  law,  upon 
which  he  had  commenced  some  months  before,  and  took  up  the  study  of 
Euclid  and  did  not  again  return  to  the  law  until  he  had  mastered  the  first 
five  books  of  Euclid's  great  work. 

So  it  was  in  all  his  acts. 

Thoroughness  was  his  rule,  and  upon  this  solid  basis  did  he  build  his  life. 

The  way  that  Lincoln  traversed  in  public  life  was  not  an  easy  one. 
Probably  no  man  who  ever  attained  great  prominence  has  tasted  as  bitterly 
of  defeat  as  did  he. 

In  1832  he  was  defeated  for  a  seat  in  the  Legislature  of  Illinois. 

In  1848  he  was  defeated  for  renomination  to  Congress,  to  his  great 
disappointment. 

15 


It  then  seemed  to  him,  and  so  he  said,  that  he  believed  that  his  public 
career  was  forever  ended  and  that  there  was  no  further  public  service  for 
him. 

In  1849  he  was  a  candidate  for  Commissioner  of  the  General  Land  Office, 
but  was  defeated  because  Daniel  Webster  cast  his  influence  in  favor  of 
another  candidate. 

In  1854  he  was  a  candidate  for  United  States  Senator,  but  after  a  time 
withdrew  in  favor  of  Judge  Trumbull. 

In  1856  he  was  a  candidate  for  Vice  President,  but  was  not  named  by  the 
convention. 

In  1858  he  was  a  candidate  for  the  Senate  of  the  United  States,  but  was 
defeated  by  Judge  Douglas,  although  he  carried  the  popular  vote  of  the 
State  by  4,000. 

He  was  a  brave  and  indomitable  heart. 

He  was  not  dismayed  or  crushed  by  these  successive  defeats,  although 
his  campaigns  were  made  at  a  great  sacrifice. 

Lincoln  was  a  comparatively  poor  man,  and  just  what  the  sacrifices  were 
can  best  be  told  in  his  own  words  to  the  Republican  State  committee  of 
Illinois  when  he  was  told  by  them  that  there  was  no  money  to  pay  outstand- 
ing bills.     He  wrote  to  the  committee,  as  follows: 

"Yours  of  the  15th  is  just  received.  I  wrote  you  the  same  day.  As  to 
the  pecuniary  matter,  I  am  willing  to  pay  according  to  my  ability,  but  I 
am  the  poorest  hand  living  to  get  others  to  pay.  I  have  been  on  expense 
so  long  without  earning  anything  that  I  am  absolutely  without  money  now 
for  even  household  purposes.  Still  if  you  can  put  up  $250  for  me  toward 
discharging  the  debt  of  the  committee,  I  will  allow  it  when  you  and  I  settle 
the  private  matter  between  us.  This,  with  what  I  have  already  paid,  and 
with  an  outstanding  note  of  mine,  will  exceed  my  subscription  of  $500.  This, 
too,  is  exclusive  of  my  ordinary  expenses  during  the  campaign,  all  of  which, 
being  added  to  my  loss  of  time  and  business,  bears  pretty  heavily  on  one  no 
better  off  in  world's  goods  than  I,  but,  as  I  had  the  post  of  honor,  it  is  not 
for  me  to  be  overnice.  You  are  feeling  badly,  'And  this,  too,  shall  pass  away, 
never  fear.' " 

And  after  the  long  struggle  came  the  great  victory,  and  he  sat  in  the 
seat  of  the  mighty. 

But  this  did  not  change  a  single  fiber  of  his  kindly  nature.  The  moun- 
tain crest  meant  no  more  to  him  than  the  lowly  valley. 

When  power  came  and  greatness  was  his,  he  wore  his  honors  modestly, 
without  arrogance  or  ostentation,  and  humility  and  kindness  marked  his 
course. 

He  was  to  the  Nation  Father  Abraham,  and  with  meekness  and  might, 

16 


affection  and   care,  he  led  his   children   through  the   valley  of   the   shadow, 
safely  into  the  fold  of  peace  and  tranquility. 

No  greater  tribute  can  be  paid  to  the  wisdom  and  worth  of  the  opinion 
of  Lincoln  than  is  paid  today  by  those  who  use  him  and  his  words  as  the 
final  and  supreme  argument  in  favor  of  some  proposed  plan  or  movement. 

It  is  demonstration  to  the  minds  of  many  when  it  can  be  said,  "Lincoln 
favored  these  things." 

But  while  the  tribute  is  great  the  name  of  Lincoln  is  not  always 
worthily  employed. 

Those  who  seek  to  destroy  and  break  down  the  vital  principles  of  our 
Government  do  not  hesitate  to  invoke  his  name  as  an  aid  in  the  accomplish- 
ment of  that  purpose. 

By  the  frenzied  orator  of  the  curb  who  inveighs  against  all  government 
his  auditors  are  told  that  Lincoln  stood  for  absolute  freedom  of  thought  and 
action  and  that  he  had  no  regard  for  the  limitations  of  law. 

They  are  not  told,  however,  that  Lincoln  stood  for  freedom  of  speech  and 
action  only  under  the  Constitution  and  the  law. 

They  are  not  told  in  speaking  of  this  freedom  of  speech  he  said: 

"Yes;  we  will  speak  for  freedom  and  against  slavery  as  long  as  the  Con- 
stitution of  our  country  guarantees  free  speech,  until  everywhere  in  this 
wide  land  the  sun  shall  shine  and  the  rain  shall  fall  and  the  winds  shall 
blow  upon  no  man  who  goes  forth  to  unrequited  toil." 

The  things  for  which  he  stood  and  which  he  attempted  to  do  were  in 
the  name  of  the  Constitution,  and  to  this  instrument — as  he  construed  it — 
he  was  wholly  devoted. 

The  reckless  and  hairbrained  experiment  in  government  possessed  no 
attraction  for  him,  nor  was  he  inclined  to  adopt  a  plan  merely  because  it 
was  new  and  untried,  but  going  hand  in  hand  with  this  conservatism  was 
the  ever-present  desire  to  so  adopt  the  Constitution  that  it  would  respond  to 
the  changing  needs  and  requirements  of  the  people. 

While  regarding  with  reverence  the  precedents  of  the  best,  he  also  sought 
to  be  acutely  conscious  of,  and  responsive  to,  the  economic  demands  and 
needs  of  the  present. 

As  he  was  intensely  human  in  all  his  aspects  of  life,  so  did  he  make  a 
systematic  and  human  interpretation  of  the  Constitution,  where  the  rights 
of  men  were  involved. 

With  such  a  construction  of  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States  by 
those  in  power,  the  people  of  the  Nation  will  not  quarrel.  It  is  radical 
changes  in  our  forms  of  government,  not  authorized  by  the  Constitution, 
that  will  be  met  with  condemnation. 

17 


Those  who  find  comfort  in  the  denial  of  a  God  or  of  a  Supreme  Being 
frequently  claim  Lincoln  as  one  who  shared  their  views  and  approved  their 
lack  of  belief.  No  greater  or  more  foul  slander  could  be  uttered  against 
this  man. 

Lincoln  walked  hand  in  hand  with  God  for  many  years  before  his  death, 
and  there  is  no  act  of  his  life  that  warrants  the  claims  so  advanced. 

It  may  be  that  he  could  not  define  a  particular  creed  that  entirely  and 
closely  fitted  his  views,  but  his  steadfast  belief  in  a  God  and  His  divine  power 
to  guide  and  shape  the  affairs  of  men  was  touching. 

There  is  hardly  an  utterance  of  Lincoln  that  has  been  preserved  that 
does  not  speak  of  this  belief  and  faith.  On  one  occasion,  early  in  life,  when 
his  father  was  about  to  pass  away,  Lincoln  wrote  this  letter: 

"I  sincerely  hope  father  may  recover  his  health,  but,  in  all  events  tell 
him  to  remember  to  call  upon  and  confide  in  our  great  and  good  and  merciful 
Maker,  who  will  not  turn  away  from  him  in  any  extremity.  He  notes  the 
fall  of  a  sparrow  and  numbers  the  hairs  of  our  heads,  and  He  will  not  forget 
the  dying  man  who  puts  his  trust  in  Him.  Say  to  him  that  if  we  could  meet 
now  it  is  doubtful  whether  it  would  be  more  painful  than  pleasant,  but  that 
if  it  be  his  lot  to  go  now,  he  will  soon  have  a  joyous  meeting  with  many 
loved  ones  gone  before,  and  where  the  dest  of  us,  through  the  help  of  God, 
hope  ere  long  to  join  them." 

His  state  papers  are  filled  with  appeals  to  God  and  the  statement  of  his 
belief  in  a  Supreme  Being  and  his  reliance  upon  His  aid  and  assistance. 

His  trusting  faith  was  like  that  of  a  little  child  who  confidingly  puts 
his  hand  in  that  of  a  loving  father  and  walks  the  path  with  a  sublime  trust 
and  without  fear. 

One  can  not  fail  but  be  impressed  with  the  startling  fact  that  the  entire 
achievements  of  the  life  of  Abraham  Lincoln  that  has  caused  the  generations 
to  remember  him  were  accomplished  and  performed  in  barely  fifteen  hundred 
days. 

If  from  his  life  were  taken  the  actions  and  deeds  embraced  in  those  days 
his  name  would  barely  be  known  outside  of  the  counties  of  Illinois  where 
his  activities  had  been. 

When  defeated  for  the  Senate  by  Douglas  it  seemed  to  the  doubting 
many  that  his  career  was  done;  but  the  defeats  of  the  past  were,  to  him, 
only  the  foundations  on  which  he  builded  his  future  triumph. 

His  trials  and  struggles  and  sorrows  had  refined  his  soul  until  the  dross 
was  gone,  and  out  of  his  bitter  experience  came  forth  a  man — apparently 
called  of  God-to  guide  the  people  of  the  land,  both  North  and  South,  out  of 
the  horrors  of  war  to  the  place  where,  rededicated  by  the  blood  of  a  hundred 
fields,  they  stood  a  united  and  an  invincible  people. 

18 


One  lesson  taught  by  Lincoln  that  may  be  helpful  at  the  present  day 
was  his  determination  to  stand  steadfast  before  the  nations  of  the  world  for 
the  rights  of  America. 

Although  opposed  by  the  bravest  of  the  brave  at  home,  he  did  not  fail 
to  courageously  speak  for  the  dignity  of  the  country  when  it  was  assailed 
from  abroad. 

The  poet  has  told  in  inspiring  lines  of  the  response  that  the  people  of 
the  land  will  make  to  such  an  appeal,  and  it  was  no  more  true  when  penned 
than  it  is  today. 

This  whole  Nation  will  respond  in  arms  and  bear  any  hardship  that 
may  be  imposed,  no  matter  how  severe,  whenever  a  wrong  that  involves  a 
national  principle  is  inflicted  by  a  foreign  foe. 

How  marvelously  like  the  ministry  of  the  Savior  of  the  world  were  the 
beneficent  years  of  this  great  leader  of  men. 

How  like  the  passion  of  the  Son  of  God  was  the  martyrdom  which  he 
suffered  that  all  men  might  be  free  and,  better  yet,  be  free  with  the  Nation 
united. 

For  him  the  zenith  of  his  career  had  been  reached,  and,  like  Moses,  he 
stood  upon  the  height  and  viewed  the  land  regenerated,  but  which  he  might 
not  enter;  and  then,  on  Good  Friday,  the  day  that  the  Christian  world 
was  sorrowfully  observing  the  crucifixion  of  the  Christ,  God  took  him,  even 
though  the  evening  of  his  life  had  not  yet  come,  for  his  task  was  done. 

Yea,  he  was  taken,  if  it  can  be  said  of  the  death  of  the  clay  that  formed 
his  body;  but  there  was  left  the  undying  spirit  of  this  great  man  to  lead  and 
protect  the  people  of  this  Nation  by  the  wisdom  he  displayed  for  many  gen- 
erations to  come. 

Great  men  have  come  and  gone  since  Lincoln  fell,  and  many  have  at- 
tained high  places  in  the  Nation,  but  it  is  rarely  that  one,  when  his  power 
was  at  the  greatest,  attained  the  wonderful  influence  over  the  people  of  the 
land  that  has  been  manifested,  and  still  continues  to  be  manifested  until 
this  day,  by  the  memory  of  Abraham  Lincoln. 

That  influence  has  guided  the  Nation  when  the  hand  of  living  man  has 
faltered,  for  being  dead,  yet  he  speaketh  to  the  souls  of  men  with  power 
and  conviction. 

And  so  today,  I  pay  a  humble  tribute  to  the  life  and  work  of  her  great 
son.  Into  his  hands  they  gave  all  that  was  best  and  dearest.  To  him  they 
intrusted  the  sacred  honor  of  the  Nation,  and  never  did  he  fail  that  trust. 

In  his  death  they  honor  him  and  preserve  his  memory. 

In  the  Hall  of  Representatives  at  Springfield  only  two  portraits  are 
found.    On  the  one  hand  is  that  of  Douglas,  who  in  the  hour  of  stress  clasped 

19 


hands  with  his  old-time  political  opponent,  and  who  held  up  the  arms  of 
Lincoln  as  Aaron  did  of  old.  The  place  of  Douglas  is  secure  in  the  affections 
of  the  people  of  the  Prairie  State. 

From  the  other  side  of  the  hall  looks  down  the  towering  form  of  Abraham 
Lincoln,  and  there  the  people  of  the  State  come  and  stand  with  tearful  eyes, 
gazing  into  the  kindly  face  of  this  great  man,  and  as  they  depart  they  take 
away  an  inspiration  to  better  and  more  fully  discharge  the  duties  of  citizen- 
ship. 

Our  State  has  taken  his  ashes  and  his  fame  and  his  memory  to  its  heart. 
One  it  will  guard  and  the  others  it  will  proclaim  until  the  Father  of  Waters 
no  longer  runs  to  the  sea  and  until  time  is  no  more. 

Not  without  thy  wondrous  story, 

Illinois,  Illinois, 
Can  be  writ  the  Nation's  glory, 

Illinois,  Illinois; 
On  the  record  of  thy  years 
Abram  Lincoln's  name  appears, 
Grant  and  Logan,  and  our  tears, 

Illinois. 

In  one  of  the  most  beautiful  parks  in  the  city  of  Chicago  stands  a  won- 
derful monument,  erected  to  commemorate  the  life  of  this,  one  of  the  world's 
greatest  men.  It  is  builded  beside  the  great  inland  sea,  whose  ceaseless  surf 
sounds  a  requiem  by  night  and  by  day.  The  first  rays  of  the  rising  sun  rest 
upon  it  in  rosy  salutation,  and  here  again  they  pause  in  benediction  ere  the 
night  closes  down. 

To  this  spot  the  people  come  as  they  might  to  a  shrine  of  freedom. 
Here  they  pause  and  linger.  Here  gather  the  poor,  of  whom  Lincoln  said, 
"God  must  have  loved  them  or  else  He  would  not  have  made  so  many  of 
them."  At  the  base  of  the  statue  the  little  children  play.  Here  kings  and 
princes  and  rulers  have  sent  their  wreaths  and  floral  tributes  to  be  laid  at 
the  feet  of  the  imposing  figure  that,  motionless  and  silent,  ever  looks  toward 
the  great  city. 

In  loving  remembrance  this  memorial  has  been  builded  by  the  people 
of  Illinois  to  honor  its  first  citizen,  Abraham  Lincoln,  the  martyred  President. 

On  its  base,  chiseled  deep  into  the  lasting  granite,  is  one  of  the  greatest 
sentences  in  the  English  language,  and  from  its  perusal  we  can  gain  the 
secret  of  the  power  and  see  the  faith  that  animated  Lincoln  and  gave  him 
the  courage  to  perform  his  task. 

There  may  be  found  a  motto  that  any  man  can  live  by,  and  that  can  be 
adopted  by  a  nation  in  its  hour  of  need. 

These  are  his  words — noble  and  courageous: 

"Let  us  have  faith  to  believe  that  right  makes  might,  and  firm  in  that 

20 


conviction  let  us  to  the  end  dare  to  do  our  duty  as  God  gives  us  to  see  it." 
Words  of  mine  can  add  nothing  to  the  veneration  in  which  this  wonder- 
ful character  is  held  by  the  people  of  the  land,  both  North  and  South. 

He  is  loved  and  revered  and  his  fame  grows  more  secure  as  the  genera- 
tions pass.  I  can  not  refrain,  however,  from  adding  as  a  far  greater  tribute 
than  any  I  can  pay  that  which  was  penned  of  Lincoln  by  a  sweet  singer.  It 
seems  to  me  that  it  is  a  sublime  epitomization  of  the  character  and  the  life 
of  this  man: 

"And  so  he  came 

From  the  prairie  cabin  to  the  Capitol, 

One  fair  ideal  led  our  chieftain  on. 

Forevermore  he  burned  to  do  his  deed 

With  the  fine  stroke  and  gesture  of  a  king 

He  built  the  rail  pile  as  he  built  the  State, 

Pouring  his  splendid  strength  through  every  blow, 

The  conscience  of  him  testing  every  stroke, 

To  make  his  deed  the  measure  of  a  man. 

"So  came  the  Captain,  with  his  mighty  heart; 
And  when  the  step  of  earthquake  shook  the  house, 
WTrenching  the  rafters  from  their  ancient  hold, 
He  held  the  ridge  pole  up  and  spiked  again 
The  rafters  of  the  Home.     He  held  his  place- 
Held  the  long  purpose  like  a  growing  tree- 
Held  on  through  blame  and  faltered  not  at  praise 
And  when  he  fell  in  whirlwind,  he  went  down 
As  when  a  kingly  cedar,  green  with  boughs, 
Goes  down  with  a  great  shout  upon  the  hills, 
And  leaves  a  lonesome  place  against  the  sky." 

Citizens  of  Shelby  county,  you  do  a  wise  and  patriotic  work  in  laying 
a  granite  boulder  where  he  stood  and  spoke  for  freedom,  June  15,  1856. 


21 


SOLDIERS'    AND    SAILORS'    MONUMENT    and    LINCOLN-THORNTON 

MEMORIAL   BOULDER 


Approval  of  the  Board  oi  Supervisors 

List  of  names  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors  of  Shelby  Coun- 
ty who  have  acted  in  this  matter: 

H.  C.  MAY,  Chairman  THEO.   ROESSLER 

CALVIN  HOWE  H.  M.  RAWLINGS 

DAVID  D.  HILL  W.   C.   KIELMAN 

H.  H.   RUNKEL  JESSIE  PEARSON 

J.  W.  WOLF  A.  E.   DOUTHIT 

A.  P.  COVENTRY  S.  D.  PARR 

OTIS   L.   PRICE  WM.  KRUMERICH 

W.   A.    BLACKERBY  M.  R.  STORM 

L.  O.  GLICK  L.  D.  HENNIGH 

EDW.    C.   EBERSPACHER  HERMAN    HOETTE 

C.  A.  HAMMIL  J.  J.  PATTERSON 

P.  R.  ANDERSON  H.  D.  BANNING 
J.  H.  EDDY 

BOARD  OF  SUPERVISORS, 

Shelby  County,  Illinois,  November,  1922, 

Inasmuch  as  a  Committee  of  citizens  of  Shelbyville  have 
procured  a  boulder  and  bronze  tablet  to  commemorate  the  event 
of  a  joint  debate  in  the  Old  Court  House  in  June,  1856,  between 
Abraham  Lincoln  and  Anthony  Thornton  on  the  subject  of  Free- 
dom in    United    States  Territories; 

Now,  Therefore,  We,  the  Board  of  Supervisors,  by  H.  C. 
May,  Chairman,  and  Calvin  Howe,  D.  D.  Hill,  H.  H.  Runkel  and 
J.  W.  Wolf,  Committee  on  Public  Property,  hereby  consent  to 
the  placing  said  boulder  on  the  Lincoln  Park,  north  of  the  Mon- 
ument so  as  not  to  effect  the  view  of  the  same. 

H.  C.  MAY,  Chairman 

CALVIN   HOWE, 

DAVID  D.  HILL,  Committee  on 

H.  H.  RUNKEL  Public  Property. 

J.  W.  WOLF 

A.  P.  COVENTRY 

Said  Board  unanimously  directed  the  Committee  on  Public 
Property  as  above,  and  subsequently  directed  the  said  Com- 
mittee to    honor  all    bills  therefor. 

22 


BIRTHPLACE  OF  ABRAHAM  LINCOLN  IN 
HARDIN    COUNTY,    KENTUCKY 


CABIN     OF     THOMAS,     FATHER     OF     ABRAHAM 
LINCOLN,  NEAR  CHARLESTON,  ILLINOIS 


CABIN    BUILT     BY     LINCOLN    and 

JOHN  HANKS,  NEAR  DECATUR, 

ILLINOIS,  ABOUT  1831 


/ 


w 


